It's snowing out right now! How is that happening? I thought we'd already had way more than our fair share of snow for the year. Or even for the decade!
Anyway, so on Friday was the opening of the Evolution exhibit over at South Hill Park. By all accounts it went well and a good amount of people came. I wasn't one of them, though. I tried, but when we got on the motorway there was a very long queue and when we got to the end of the queue it turned out that there had been a major accident. The police made everyone do a u-turn over the grass verge and sent us back the way we had come. Both sides of the motorway were closed. By then there was no time to get to the opening anymore another way. So sadly I missed the opening!
This weekend I caught up on some much needed sleep and now it's back into the ring. I had a Folksy sale, which is great, so those earrings are going to be sent off today. So today's plan is post office and sorting papers and then back to the bench to start on the next batch of custom jobs. I'm hoping to have an item returned from the hallmarking office, but it looks like no luck on that front because it's already noon and usually it would have arrived by now. That was a bit of bad luck because one of the items I sent off for hallmarking came back with no hallmark on it - the Assay office just forgot! So another hallnote, another trip to the post office and another delay.
Here's a random photo of Mt Fuji that my dad took from an airplane - an exceptionally clear photo:

Evolution show opening tomorrow!

All welcome to the opening reception of the Berkshire Designer Jewellers "Evolution" show tomorrow evening 6.30pm - 8pm at South Hill Park in Bracknell.

custom necklace

gold ring

Remember the gold ring I cast and was going to clean up? Well, here it is: First here it is before and then two pictures after:
BEFORE:
AFTER:

wah!

Yikes I have a lot to do today! I've just had two very long days over at South Hill Park. All the classes went well and I got loads of my own work done too. But leaving the house so early and getting home so late is going to take some getting used to! Plus there's no internet access so have just been catching up with emails. Usually I guess there wouldn't be so many emails but I'm (along with another jeweller) organising the Evolution exhibit over at South Hill Park and that is SOON. So there are flurries of emails flying back and forth about stock sheet formats and allocated shelves and cases and set up times and so forth. I'll be great once the exhibit is set up!!!
So today I'm working on that a bit plus I really need to get a box together of things to hallmark. I'm still working on the gold ring from the below post. Nearly there, but have no photos yet. Will have them hopefully soon, all being well.
Anyway, it's all a bit hectic and I'm hoping I can stay calm and carry on! Ha!

progress

Custom jobs have been sent, lessons start tomorrow, orders are being placed (by me, for more materials), etc. etc. The year is well and truly underway. Today the plan is to finish this ring, which is a gold cast ring. I made it in silver first, approximately right, but hollow so I couldn't shape it quite the way I wanted to. Then I cast it, since I only need one I used cuttlefish, and now all I need to do is clean it up. As you can see, quite a lot of cleaning up needs to be done. Hopefully it'll go well and I'll be able to finish it today, which means I'll have a photo of the finished item later today.

"Evolution" by Berkshire Designer Jewellers

Please click on the above poster for a closer look! If you're in the Berkshire area, you're very welcome to attend our private view for this exciting show!

The exhibition presents designer jewellery and metal work responding to the theme of DNA as well as selected pieces from the makers’ individual collections. Jewellery will be available for sale.

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday 5th February, 6.30 - 9pm. ALL WELCOME!

EXHIBITION OPENING TIMES:
Monday to Saturday: 9m - 11pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays 11am - 10.30pm

ADMISSION FREE.

South Hill Park Arts Centre
Ringmead
Bracknell
RG12 7PA

DIRECTIONS: http//www.southhillpark.org.uk/aboutUsTravel.jsp

bah humbug

Please read this blog post if you're local to the Reading area and comment. The jelly is a Reading arts institution and provides support and inspiration for numerous Reading arts groups. Currently based in the town hall, they won't have a home from March. I hope a solution can be found!!

technically not a snow picture

Well, it's an icicle picture. Hanging from our gutter are numerous large icicles.

snow, snow, don't go away but melt a bit please

Ok, the snow is very pretty and all, but I'm still waiting for my hallmarking packet and getting nervous about it now. sigh. I need to go to the post office, but you know as soon as I reach the post office, the postie will be at my door and I won't be home. Grumble....
Anyway......here's a photo that I absolutely love that I wanted to share. I nicked it from my sister, because I am allergic to cats, so I don't have any(*sob* because I love cats!). My sister has our old cat and her super spoiled cat. So at first I thought, aaaaw there's Pepe, sleeping all happy on the couch. Then about the fourth time I looked at the photo, I was like "wait a minute........." and finally spotted JOSIE in the box!!! bwahahaha! ok, maybe it's just me that finds it super amusing, but in any case, makes a change from snow pictures!

more snow?!?!

what's going on? I had never seen so much snow here as we had at Christmas and now we've got another giant packet of the white stuff. It's a thick layer, too, more than Reading has ever seen or at least for a very long while. Not only that, it's still snowing and more snow is predicted until this evening! It's all white, white and more white. It looks nice, but I don't think I'm going anywhere. Lots of rambling about the snow, but really, it's very unusual for here!!! So here's another photo, this time of the back garden about midnight last night.
My scheduled driving lesson isn't happening today. I'm awaiting a special delivery package from the hallmarking office and I'll be very impressed if it arrives today. I also need to send some things, but I wonder if it might be wiser to wait for the roads to have cleared a bit.

brrrrrrrrrrrr

Happy 2010! It's a new year and after a very lovely holiday it's back to normal. All the snow has melted around here, but it's still pretty darn cold. My fingers are freezing and my toes are numb. Much tea and thicker socks are needed! And back to the bench I go. I have several custom jobs to work on and a batch of items to send off for hallmarking today. It's all systems go and my teaching starts next week as well. I'll be posting more photos of custom jobs soon as well as attempting to put new items on my Etsy and Folksy sites. For anyone around this area, I have a bunch of work available over at Norden Farm now, so if you're over that way have a look :-) For now, here's another photo of all the snow that we had over Christmas!

happy holidays

lots of snow

This is more snow than I've ever seen here in Reading! Loads! White stuff! Fluff! Everything looks really lovely and I really like the quietness that comes with snow. The cars are muffled, the people walking by is just a soft crunch, etc... Anyway...here's a photo of the snow beginning and then how it is now, we reckon a good 2 inches fell at least just here.

phhhhhhhhhew

Phew - last craft fair of the year over. Christmas tree decorated. Snow falling. Temperatures falling. Presents ready to be wrapped. Only a couple of custom jobs to do before the weekend. Rage Against the Machine single purchased*. And commissioned piece turned out really nice....here's a photo of it - 18k yellow gold peek ring with ruby:
* there's a group on Facebook trying to get everyone to download the single "Killing in the Name" by Rage against the Machine so it can beat the latest Xfactor dross to be Christmas number one. I support the sentiment - a "handmade" song over a manufactured bland one!

today today...

is my last craft fair of the year - get ye down to Farnham for mulled wine, mince pies, and an amazing array of homemade goodies perfect for those last-minute presents!

In other news, I'm shifting around my online presence a bit. I'm moving off some sites and possibly on to others. I have now stopped using DaWanda because it wasn't working that well for me and I just don't have the time to keep on top of Etsy, Folksy and also DaWanda. Plus I think DaWanda works better if you're also fluent in German and French so you can use the other parts of the site. So hey ho, I'm focusing on Etsy and Folksy. This way I have shops that are in good shape and I can offer PayPal or Google Checkout and dollars or pounds. So hopefully this will make things a bit neater and easier to manage!

In the meantime, I'm working on finishing custom pieces before Christmas - hopefully all will go well and it'll all be finished by this Saturday - here's hoping! And here's a photo of one such custom job....

ONE MORE

One more craft fair to go - this Tuesday evening there is a Christmas market at Farnham Maltings in Farnham, Surrey. Open 5pm - 10pm! Last chance to get your handmade, unique pressies straight from the makers. 150 stalls and mince pies and mulled wine from the bar. See you there...

www.farnhammaltings.com

exciting stuff going on....

1. Reveal - a fantastic showcase of talent right in the middle of Henley. Private view this Thursday evening. Details on this flyer or on the Reveal website. (I'm at this show!)


2. My lovely friends over at ToDryFor (tea towel experts) are giving away FREE TEA - can it get better than that? Go check it out over here.


3. Art show displaying the talents of artists who live in Caversham, Reading. Caversham Artists present "Exhuberance". Details on this flyer (click for larger view)! (I'm not at this show, but the lovely Lauren is!)

gold

Here are some photos of my bud hoop earrings - now available in 18k yellow gold:

Post for Christmas

Have you seen a pair of earrings that are perfect for your friend this Christmas? Or cuff links for your dad? You can order direct from me or see me at a craft fair (see side bar for details).
Just a quick reminder of the deadline dates for posting items before the Christmas holidays:

Rest of world (including Australia and New Zealand): Thursday 3rd December
Japan, USA, Canada and Eastern Europe: Wednesday 9th December
Western Europe: Thursday 10th December
UK: Friday 18th December

custom order

Just a quick post of a photo of a custom order - similar to some of my existing earrings but with a hammered finish on the outer circle.

Open 11am - 5 pm Oxford Town Hall

Here's the link for more info about exhibitors and so forth: http://handmadeoxford.blogspot.com/
Really looking forward to this one - should see a lot of old friends :-)

Events tomorrow...

Wondering what to do tomorrow? Plenty on offer! First there's the Jewellery Showcase at Norden Farm Arts Centre in Maidenhead.


Then if you have time, you could go to the events on over at South Hill Park in Bracknell (free admission):

Season on Englishness and Bracknell

OPENING RECEPTION: Bracknell on Saturday 28 November, 1pm – 3pm

Opened by The Mayor Chas Baily, Bracknell Town Council, 1pm

An Act to Follow at cinema, 2pm

In the Bracknell Gallery, Observations on a Town by Janet Curley Cannon is an observation on the peripheral characteristics of the urban environment before they are lost by way of destruction or regeneration. Through this she creates a visual record of the rituals and habits of modern life, capturing the ordinary and everyday surroundings in which we live.

In Tall Hall and Reception, Bracknell Re:views brings together the silversmith Jane Tadrist and local residents’ spectacular canopy of 2,500 postcards, appropriately red and brick-sized, to represent 10% of the original designated population of the new town. These accompany Jane’s display of souvenir items, expressing her creative response to the town. Views expressed in the project are as myriad, diverse, as the estates that characterise Bracknell that is “full of hidden gems”, as Jane puts it.

In Atrium Projection Space, Patricia MacKinnon-Day and Beverley Carpenter with Rainforest Walk present An Act to Follow that explores Bracknell through moving image by artists and the residents of Look Ahead Housing and Care’s Rainforest Walk, a supported housing project for young people. This disjointed, poetic and colourful trip uses the 32 cameras of Rainforest Walk to capture unique scenes offering a fascinating glimpse of young British life.

The exhibitions also include new work by the Bracknell Camera Club in Community Gallery, looking at aspects of what makes us British today, including British culture, leisure, sports and favourite foods, as well as references to British law and authority.

In addition to these Bracknell focused exhibitions; we are delighted to present We English, the photography series by Simon Roberts. Simon travelled throughout England in a motorhome for this photographic enquiry into the character of Englishness. The series is the most significant contribution to the photography of England in recent years. Simon’s photographs have been exhibited widely, with recent shows at Klompching Gallery in New York and the Museum of Modern Art in Shanghai.

South Hill Park Arts Centre

Ringmead, Bracknell

Berkshire RG12 7PA

Directions at: http://www.southhillpark.org.uk/aboutUsTravel.jsp

made to order...

I just finished this - a made to order Christmas present for a friend of a friend's girlfriend (I'm 99% sure she doesn't know of my existence, let alone my blog, so I think it's pretty safe to put these piccies up!). He liked the earrings, so wanted them with a matching necklace. All the headpins are handmade, so it took quite some time. So here we are! The colour didn't come out that great in the photos, the beads are actually a lovely dark purple. Anyway, here are some photos and then I'm back to making some commissioned pieces and preparing (again) for craft fairs this weekend!! Maidenhead and Oxford - see my links on the right for details.

Exhibition in 2010

I had to laugh when I read one of the newsletters I get this morning - there are always lists of shows to apply for and applying is always required well in advance of the bigger shows. It's now time to apply for the autumn 2010 shows, but there was a typo and there was a call for a show in 2020! ha ha, that would be crazy in advance booking...heh...well, I guess I'm easily amused. In any case, speaking of planning ahead, I thought I'd put up the link to the next exhibition of the Berkshire Designer Jewellers (ie the Berkshire branch of the ACJ) which is going to be held at South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell.

Evolution

Berkshire Designer Jewellers

The exhibition presents designer jewellery and metal work responding to the theme of DNA as well as selected pieces from the makers’ individual collections. Jewellery will be available for sale.

Opening reception Friday 5 February 6.30-8pm

coming up...

Hi again...wow the weather keeps being dingy and dull. It's raining and grey again. Oh well, good for staying in and being all cosy. I just thought I would post a link over to the Handm@de blog because they are doing a fun feature on the exhibitors for Oxford by going through them alphabetically. Here's the link: http://handmadeoxford.blogspot.com/

Norden Farm Arts Centre in Maidenhead

My next event: (click on photo for a better look)

middle of November already

I am baffled as to how it is already the middle of the month and I can see December's nose poking around the corner! It's super busy at the moment with all the craft fairs and sorting out commissions from the fairs. Plus I have the joy of a lost package - a victim of the postal strike, I suppose. I sent a package 4 weeks ago and it hasn't arrived yet. Naturally it was a custom piece, so now I have to make it again and quickly too! I keep meaning to put more items on Etsy/Folksy, but I just can't seem to find the time between everything else. I'll try to get something up today though! I'm also slowly progressing with my driving lessons and have a practical driving test booked - so I better be ready for it in January!!
At the South Hill Park fair I was in the same room as two other artists, one of whom I mentioned in the post below. The other is a glass bead maker (The Earring Cafe) - she demonstrated how the beads are made at the fair and I have to say it was fascinating. So if you're interested in colourful glass beads, have a look at her website. Here's a photo of one of her handmade glass beads:

little houses...

So at the South Hill Park fair, I was in a room with two other exhibitors. One of those two was Sarah Nicol - she makes these cute little houses which are doorstops. They are filled with sand, so weigh about 2kg. She also has smaller houses which are filled with lavender...also lovely. I particularly liked the doorstop houses...such a good idea and they are soft, so you won't stub your toe on them either. Here are some piccies of her houses....you can also visit her amazing website here.

south hill park

Well, the South Hill Park christmas fair is over for this year! I had a great weekend - saw lots of familiar faces and lots of new ones, had a bunch of good chats, and sold really well! Hurrah! I was in a room with 2 other stalls who did really lovely things, I will write about those later this week. For the moment, thank you very much to those of you who came and here's a photo of my stand this year at South Hill Park: (click on the photo for a better look!)

Does Craft Matter to you?

Hello hello it's another super gloomy super rainy blah grey did i mention gloomy day. I'm sort of getting ready for the South Hill Park Christmas Fair, which starts tomorrow. I say sort of because I've somehow neglected to have any tea yet today so I'm warming up slowly! In any case, I thought I would pass on the Craft Council's plea for signatures to let the government know that craft DOES matter in the UK. I did sign it, because I am all in favour of the current and continuing craft revival. I love seeing skills being kept alive - better than complaining years from now that there's nobody left who knows how to do these things. Here's to handmade - from jewellery to silversmithing to knitting and everything in between!!! If you're interested in signing their declaration, see the below letter and link (the link is the last sentence).

Make Craft Count The Crafts Council believes that Craft Matters and we want to show that it matters to thousands of people across the UK as much as it does to us. The government’s own data tells us that “17% of the population took part in a craft activity in 2008/09” – we want to show what that statistic looks like in real support so that everyone can see that craft is highly valued. In the next few months, we will be posting the names* of all our signatories on our website so that we can demonstrate the great support for craft across the UK – and we need your help to show its true extent. *(Your name will feature on a graphic design to show your support, and will be the only part of your signature made public). So, sign up today and pass this email on to friends and colleagues. Together, we will show how much Craft Matters. Sign up to Make Craft Count

featured

Folksy is doing a little showcase of all items red, which you can read about on their blog. One of my pairs of earrings is in the selection:Click on the photo for a better look, or just go straight to the page on Folksy.

random cat information

My sister sent some photos of Pepe (aka the cutie) and she has purchased a ridiculous object to make him look even cuter. This is probably going to be fought over between Josie and Pepe - a cat cave! Here's Pepe in the cat cave...how snuggled up does he look?!

South Hill Park Christmas fair

This weekend 14-15 November!

stand at Craft in Focus

Here's a photo of my stand (click on photo for a closer look) at Craft in Focus at Crowthorne:

driving and many other events

It's that super busy, mad hectic, running around time of year! Many things going on here. First of all I had my first driving lesson yesterday. I was amazed that I was immediately driving around the neighborhood - it was still a bit scary but I hope I can get up to speed (literally because I was going pretty slowly!) in a couple of months and then hopefully take the test in January. That reminds me, I need to book the test!
Also, in big news for me, I have been offered the position of Artist in Residence at the silversmithing studio at South Hill Park arts centre in Bracknell. I am totally delighted about it and am looking forward to all the opportunities this may bring. South Hill Park is a lovely arts centre and there are many other artists working there, so it's going to be a great environment for me. I will also be teaching there - so if you're interested in classes, feel free to email me for details.
Besides that, the next craft fair is at South Hill Park - 14 & 15 November! I hope to see some of you there. I had a brilliant fair at the Craft in Focus at Crowthorne, so I'm doing well!
And last, but certainly not least, one of my pieces is in the latest edition of Craft&Design magazine!!! Here's a photo: